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| Tuckers, the non-threatening nightclub in San Junipero presents a hyperreal representation of clubs, nightlife, and their situation within narrative media. As as audience, we implicitly realise that Tuckers is far from a realistic representation of a club. In fact, it only superficially resembles a 'real' nightclub. Yet we are so accustomed to these hyperreal representations through films and television shows and videogames that we are able to instantly accept this simulacra as more real that that which is being represented... |
Hyperreality - where the representation is more real than the thing that is being represented. Yes, 'more real', not 'seems more real'...
Hyperreality refers to how a constructed representation ends up being more real than that which it represents. Unlike real clubs, Yorkie is able to perfectly move through the club in a single tracking shot, without being shoved, impeded, terrified, and she is able to positively interact with her environment. Furthermore, the club Tuckers can be seen to be a hyperreal simulacrum through the MES of sparse crowds who are all enjoying themselves. Their movements are exaggerated, which symbolically encodes their happiness, however, nobody is impeding on anyone else’s space. The actors are young and hegemonically attractive, with furthermore constructs an idealised version of a perfect club that does not in fact exists. Nobody is fighting, facial expressions connote a sense of happiness and inclusivity. While a few people dance by themselves, their performance encodes confidence. While most people are drinking, nobody is drunk. There is no visible confrontation, no vomit, and no embarrassing behaviour. Finally, the music that’s playing is popular, upbeat, and not distorted at all. The volume is at a perfect level for communication, and the sound even becomes quieter to allow this to happen. Not only is this situation deeply unrealistic, it is also clearly hyperreal.
The implosion of meaning itself is suggested through the setting of San Junipero itself. It is not a real location, but instead is a hyperreal simulacrum with no illness, intoxication or even bad weather.
San Junipero fixates on the collapse of metanarratives, by fixating acutely on the concept of life after death. The notion of heaven here is radically different from the biblical ideal of heaven, and instead resembles a middle-of-road club night. Furthermore, even this simulacrum is completely simulated, as both Yorkie and Kelly instead exist in a computer simulation, hooked up to the cloud
A perfect example of the postmodern condition is the sense of anxiety that pervades this episode. For example, Yorkie is a particularly anxious person, and does not like crowded places. Yorkie’s dislike of crowded places symbolises her fear of society itself, and their opinions on her as a lesbian.
A hyperreal simulacrum is constructed through the representation of Tuckers, a middle of the road club that presents a version of reality that is clearly preferable to the reality of clubbing. For example, the music in tuckers is at an agreeable volume, and the volume of music seems to turn down when the dialogue for Kelly and Yorkie becomes important. Th9is editing technique not only forces us to pay more attention to these main characters, it also explicitly informs the audience that this representation is far from realistic. Yorkie is able to easily walk in to the club, with no discriminatory dress codes etc. Yorkie is able to walk through the club easily, which is symbolically reinforced through the smooth and elegant tracking shot. Finally, while most patrons seem to be drinking, no one is visibly drunk, and no one is behaving in a threatening way, and everyone is healthy, young and hegemonically attractive. All these elements combine to construct a hyperreal construction of reality. By way of contrast, The Quagmire, a far more realistic club, based in an actual goth and industrial club (Elecrowerkz in Angel) seems far less real, and fills Yorkie with horror and revulsion.
Real life is awful, and only the hyperreal is perfect.